Vehicle-spring.



Wl S. LEE.

VEHICLE SPRING.

APPLIUATION FILED Nov. 24, 1911.

1,023,859 Patented Apr. 23, 1912.

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UNITED srnrnsrxrmvr onricnj.

WILLIAM S. LEE, F- DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, T0BRIGG-S-DETROITER COMPANY, 0F DETROIT, llLIICI-IIGAN, A. l' CORPORATION0F MICHIGAN.

VEHICLE-SPRING.

APatented Apr. 23, 19,12.

'Application led November 24, 1911. Serial No. 662,242.

To all 'whom t may concern,

Be it known that I, WILLIAM S. LEE, a

, citizen of the United States,and a resident of Detroit, in the countyof Wayne and State of Michigan, have invented a newand usefulVehicle-Spring, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the springs for supporting the chassis or thebodies of ve-v hicles, and particularly between the rear axles andchassis of automobiles, and its object is to provide a system ofspringsA which shall permit free movement of the chassis or bodyrelative to the axle, both vertically and laterally.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective of the springsat the rear end of an automobile chassis, a portion of the shaft`casingand the gear casing being shown. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of thefront end of the connecting arms between the chassis and the axle.Fig..3 is a vertical, transverse section of a ball-and-socket,

bearing at the front end of the connecting arms.

Similar reference characters refer to like parts throughout the severalviews.

Ordinary spring constructions permit vertical movement between thebodyvor chassis and the axle, butno lateral movement of .the body, sothat side blows, because of irregularities in the roadway, are Vusuallytransmitted to the passengers or other load with full force. The presentdevice is so constructed that the axle may move longitudinally toa`,certain extent without ai'ecting the chassis. The chassis o1" frameitself is formed with side bars land cross bars 2 and 3. To the latter,a main transverse semi-elliptic spring 4 is secured by means of theclevises 5. The ends of this spring are formed into slee-ves 6, throughwhich the bolts 7 extend. Secured to the casing 9 of the axle are theclamps 10, having forwardly extending arms 11. These arms carry bolts 12which are the pivots of the jawsl 13 at the real); ends of the arms 14.These arms are formed with balls 15 at their front ends, which arerevoluble in the bearings 16-17, secured to the side bars l oi' 'thechassis or frame. Secured to the'clamps 10, by means of thel yokes 18,are the short quarter-elliptical springs 20, which extend toward theends of the transverse spring 4', and the ends of the short springs areformed into sleeves 21 which receive the bolts 22. Links 23 extend downfrom these bolts 22, and links 24 extend upwardly from the bolts 7. Thebolts 25 at the lower ends of the links 23 and the bolts 26 at the upperends 60 ,of the links 24, extend through the'knuckles 27 at right anglesto each other.

Under normal conditions the springs 4 and 2O wlll yield, permitting thechassis and the axle casing 9 t0 approach and. separate. 65-

Should a side blow occur, then the axle cas-A ing 9 is permitted to movelongitudinally beneath the chassis, thelinks 24 swinging on the bolts 7and the arms 14 swinging on the balls 15 and the bolts 12. The extent 70of this movement will not be large, but, with ordinary vehicles, may betwo or three inches if desired. Should more movement be prvided for,then the links 24 must be made longer in proportion than those showninthe drawing. As the bars 14 haveballs at their front ends, they canswing in all directions. vThev axle is therefore permitted to movelongitudinally with rference to its own axis as well as toward and fromthe chassis. The weight on the links 24 will return the axlelongitudinally back to central' positionim'mediately. l

The drawings sh'ow the gear case 28 and the axle 29, but these form nopart ofthe 35 Y invention, which is applicable'to axles and frames of'any desired construction.

I claim.' .y

1. In a vehlcle, the combination of a trans verse spring secured to oneend of the frame of the vehicle, an axle parallel thereto, short springsconnected at one end to the axle 'and extending toward the ends of thetra'n.o4 verse spring, connections between the ends of the springs,rigid arms extending from ends of the transverse springs, yieldableconnections between the adjacent ends of the springs, clampsconnecting-the sho'rt springs to the axle, connecting arms extendingfrom v said clamps oppositely'to saidshort springs,

j and ball-and-soeket bearings at the ends of verse semi-elliptic springsecured to one' end of the frame of the vehicle7 an axle parallelthereto, short quarter-elliptical springs ysecured to the axle andextending toward' the ends of the transverse spring, connections betweenthe `ends of the: prlngs Whereby the Weight on the transverse spring istranslnittedto th-'shoI-tsprings, and arms to move longitudinally withrespect to the frame.

In testimony whereof I have signed this .specication in the presence oftivo subscribing Witnesses.

WILLIAM S. LEE.

Witnesses: I WILLIAM T. Hnwlrr,

EDWARD N. PaGELsEN.

